Daydreaming
by IllegitimatePrincess
Summary: Tori's mind is wandering more often than not. Jade and Cat see something they wish they'd seen a long time ago. T for possible triggers and some language
1. Chapter 1

**I. Feel. So. ASHAMED! This is my first attempt at Jori and I tried to make it a little more...dramatic? Is that the word I'm looking for? I tried for something like Floody does and it just didn't come out too great. I work with cute and fluffy, not dramatic and angst. My next Jori story is hopefully better than this.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious or any of the characters. That right belongs to Dan Schneider.**

Something feels...different today. Vega seems distant; almost as if she's not really here. Nobody else seems to notice, except maybe Cat. That girl's a lot smarter and more observant than most people give her credit for. Anyway, it's like Vega's mind is in a world all her own and her body's here on Earth, just being used to take up space. She's starting to worry me.

As much as it may seem, I don't hate Vega. The way she keeps trying to get me to open up; my instinct is to close her out. I feel bad afterwards and try to make it up to her in as many small ways as I can, but I know it's not enough. Did I just lose my train of thought? God, I must seem as spacey as Vega.

'Right, Jade?' Beck's voice breaks me out of my thoughts.

'Hmmm?' I look at him, confused.

'I was just testing to see if you were listening. Where'd you go just now?' He asks, looking a little concerned.

'None of your business.' I snap halfheartedly, the usual bite in my words sounding diluted.

'It's just that you're not usually this...spacey.' Andre says carefully, sharing a look with Beck.

'Neither is Vega, but I don't see you getting on her case.' I mumble, looking at said girl. She's looking at the table, but I can tell she's not seeing it.

'That's true.' Andre says, then snaps his fingers in front of Vega's face. 'Yo Tori!'

Her head snaps up as her eyes refocus. 'Hmmm?'

She has the same response I did.

'Where'd you go, chica?' Andre asks.

'What do you mean? I was here the whole time, wasn't I?' She retorts, looking confused.

'Now's not the time to be a smart ass, Vega. You were zoned out, what's up?' I say, trying to sound casual instead of concerned.

She looks back at the table and then up at me again. 'Just have a lot on my mind, I guess...'

I give her an indifferent look and go back to my lunch. 'Okay.'

Lunch went on with neither of us making conversation. I was, dare I say, worried about her. At one point, Vega reached for something and her sleeve rode up a bit. What I saw shocked me, for lack of a better word. I play it off and pray no one else saw. They'd just bombard her with questions and she'd eventually just run off. I look over at Cat and can tell she caught it too, but she knows better than to bring it up. I'd been there not too long ago and without Cat, I don't think I'd have made it. Cat's been there for me through everything.

Anyways, after lunch, Cat stops me and we go to the janitor's closet.

'Jade...?' She starts, but can't finish her question. It's a sensitive topic for her.

'Yeah, I saw. What do you think is so horrible, Hollywood Arts' "Princess" resorted to...you know...?' It's a pretty touchy subject for me too.

'I don't know, Jade. But we should talk to her about it. You had me when you started...from how it looks, Tori doesn't have anyone.' Cat says, looking like she's about to cry.

I pull her in for a hug and she cries into my neck, remembering how horrible our lives started out. 'It's okay, Kitty Cat...We'll talk to her about it. No one should have to go through this alone. Not even Vega.'

'Jade, quit the act. I know you like her. You just act like you hate her.' She says sadly, her face still buried in my neck.

I guess I startle her because when she hears me laugh, she jumps back. 'Sorry Cat...when you said it, it made it real. I guess it just feels better to have someone else know.'

She smiles and wipes her eyes. 'So when do you wanna talk to Tori?'

**What'd you think? Horrible? There's more than this, but I didn't really get into this one as much as my other fics. The other Jori story I have I really got into. So much so, I would sneak it out in class and pretend I was taking notes. Anyways, off topic. Favorite, Review, Follow, all that good stuff if you'd like. Bye bye my little waffles!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well shit...I didn't think anyone would actually read the first chapter haha. I guess I have to post this one now, just so ScottyBgood gets to know what happens next. I've already had this one written out and there's one more chapter after this but I wasn't sure if anyone would actually read it. Thanks for reviewing, Scotty, it means a lot. On with the story!**

'Wait here.' I say, then go out into the hallway. The bell rings as I'm walking out, Vega arriving at her locker moments later. Before she could open it, I grab her wrist. Surprisingly, she lets me lead her to the closet.

'Cat?' Vega seems surprised to see her.

'Hi Tori.' Cat says, her usual chipper tone replaced by a sad one.

'Is something wrong, Cat?' Vega asks, genuine concern lacing her words.

'That's part of why we're here, Vega.' I say, my voice softer than she's probably used to.

Cat starts tearing up, so I pull her into another hug. 'What's wrong, Tori?'

'What do you mean, Cat?' Vega asks, looking at me with a confused expression.

'If this is what you've resorted to, it's gotta be bad. You can tell us, Vega.' My tone surprises me because I actually sound concerned.

Cat stops crying but keeps hugging me. 'Jade used to do it too...'

Vega's eyes widen and she looks at me. 'Jade...?'

I take a deep breath and start explaining. 'When we were little, Cat's family was a mess. Her parents were always drunk and when her dad's drunk, he's probably the biggest asshole in the world. He would beat Cat and her mom pretty much every night. Since we live so close, she'd climb through my window and stay with me.'

I get choked up and stop. Vega keeps listening and doesn't say anything.

It's Cat's turn to hold me and she continues. 'Jade's family wasn't much better than mine. They were harsh, yeah, the only difference was they were never home. They're still never around...'

Cat stops and looks at me questioningly. I nod slowly, telling her to keep going.

'Both of our families were like that for years. On the odd occasion my dad caught me before I could sneak out, Jade was all alone. That's always been the one thing she's genuinely terrified of, being alone. About two years ago, we both came to terms with our sexuality. Jade's gay and I'm bisexual. Our parents were livid...my dad beat me worse than he ever has before. I went to Jade's house right after, beaten and bloody as I was, and her father just yelled at me; saying "I DON'T HAVE A DAUGHTER!" before slamming the door in my face. I sent Jade a text asking where she was and she said she was at the park. When i got there...' Cat stops and starts rubbing soothing circles on my back. I'm crying, remembering that day. My parents disowned me, my best friend almost got beaten to death by her father...that was the worst time of my life.

'You don't have to continue...' Vega starts, but I shake my head.

'When my dad disowned me, I packed my stuff and ran. I didn't know where I was going, but I ended up in the park Cat and I would go to when things got too rough at home. I took out a pair of scissors and just started slashing, wanting nothing more than for the world to just fade away. Before I blacked out, I remember telling Cat I was in the park. Cat must've found me because the next thing I knew, I was in the hospital. It took me a week to recover and Cat never left my side. I had Cat through that...you won't get through it alone.' I sigh and look at Cat, letting her know I was calm again.

'Will you let us help you, Tori?'

**Whoa...MAJOR editing on this one and even then it's probably horrible. I guess that's the price of trying new things, can't be good at something the first time you try it. The next one will be the last one for this Jori fic. Time to take more notes, right?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, here you go. Last part to Daydreaming. I wanted there to be more to this story but it just didn't happen. I get bored with my stories really fast so they either take REALLY long to write or I have to make them short one-shots. Anyways, hope you're satisfied after this.**

Vega looks like she wants to cry, and she does when I go up and hug her. 'It's okay, Vega. Wanna tell us what's up?'

'Everything's just...everything's crashing down all at once. Trina's moving away, my parents are never home...when they are, they're constantly fighting; whether it be about my mom's affair or the fact that "They can't have a daughter who chooses to be gay." I'm gonna be all alone when Trina leaves...if it were one problem at a time it would be different...' Vega spills, then sighs in what seems like relief. I know the feeling; getting something that huge off your chest makes you feel weightless.

'Being gay isn't a choice though...' I start, then stop. Telling her won't change anything.

To my surprise, she actually laughs. 'Tell me something I don't know.'

'One time, my brother tried to eat one of my stuffed animals...' Cat starts, but stops when I glare at her. 'What? She said to tell her something she doesn't know...'

'I didn't mean it literally, Cat.' Vega starts, then tenses up a bit. 'Jade?'

'What is it, Vega?' I ask, though not as harshly as I normally would.

'I think I'm calm...you can let go of me now.'

I hesitate but eventually let her go.

'You okay, Jade? You hesitated.' Vega points out.

'I'm gonna go guys. See ya!' Cat says, then walks out.

Vega starts to follow, but I grab her wrist and hold her back. I start to really look her over and I'm surprised by what I see. She has bags under her eyes like she hasn't slept in days. She's swaying a little bit, like she could go down at any minute. Aside from...the obvious physical damage, there are multiple small bruises on her collar bone, cheekbone, and wrist. Probably more under her clothing. All in all, she looks like a train wreck.

She catches me looking her over and smirks. 'My eyes are up here, you know.'

I scoff and continue looking her over. 'I know, That's where I started.'

When I'm finished, I look back at her chocolate brown eyes and my heart skips when I see she's staring back at me.

'Having fun in your little search?' She asks, amusement evident in her voice.

I smirk at her and nod. 'Yep and for the record...' I walk up to her at a slow pace and lean in so my mouth is an inch from her ear. 'I like what I saw.'

Vega shivers slightly and lets out a shaky breath. 'Oh?'

I chuckle and my voice comes out huskier than I expect it to. 'Yeah. Too bad I can only look when I'm itching to touch.'

I put extra emphasis on "itching" and "touch", making sure she feels my breath on her ear.

Vega suppresses a moan and shivers again, her eyes closed.

'When has the big, bad Jade West stopped when she wants something?' Vega asks, voice no more than a whisper.

I back away and look her in the eyes. 'When I know for a fact that that something could break if I push too hard.'

Vega's never seen me so vulnerable; I mean I basically just told her I wanted her. She has the power to hurt me more than I've ever hurt her at one time. I look away and sigh.

The next words out of her mouth are so inaudible, I almost miss them. Maybe she didn't mean for me me to hear them.

'You wouldn't be pushing if I was willing...'

I don't notice how close Vega gets until she makes me look at her and I see she's about an inch away from my face.

'Still itching to touch?'

Her breath brushes my lips and I shiver. 'You're not gonna break, right?'

She lets out a low chuckle and shakes her head. 'No, Jade. I'm not gonna break.'

I smile at her and notice she's leaning in. I meet her half way and swear there are literal fireworks, sparks, electricity, and everything else they say happens when you kiss someone you love. She pulls back and looks at me, shock on her face but love in her eyes.

'You know we skipped all of our afternoon classes, right?' I point out, feeling slightly guilty.

Vega smiles at me and kisses me again. 'I know. But I don't mind.'

'Cat and I are serious about helping you though. I hope you realize that.'

'I know...and you're right. I don't think I'd be able to make it alone.'

I smile a little and pull her close. 'Well you're not alone...not anymore...'

**Son of a cow wearing a sombrero, I'm tired. It's almost 10:30 and I have to take my World History EOC (End of Course) exam again tomorrow. Eh, I'll do fine. I wanted to get this chapter posted before I go to bed though because I'll forget by tomorrow. Night night my little munchkins!**


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